Optical fibre splicing module

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an optical fibre splicing module. The optical fibre splicing module includes a base and a cover board, with two operation planes being arranged on the base, i.e. an upper operation plane provided with an optical fibre cable core winding area, a bare fibre winding and fusion welding area and an adapter holder, and a lower operation plane provided with a fibre pigtail winding area. 16 or 32 bayonets are arranged on the adapter holder, the bayonets are longitudinally arranged along the vertical direction of the operation planes. The size of the bayonets is just suitably connected to the vertically placed adapters. Not only the number of bayonets is increased to a number meeting the requirements of the optical splitter, but also the volume of the entire optical fibre splicing module can be ensured not to be increased by using the arrangement of the bayonets and the matching method of the bayonets with the vertically arranged adapters. Also, the integrity degree can be improved and the requirements of the optical splitter can be met, without changing the shape and size of existing adapters.

This application was filed on 28 Apr. 2008, as a PCT InternationalPatent application in the name of Shenzhen Century Man CommunicationEquipment Co., Ltd., a Chinese national corporation, applicant for thedesignation of all countries except the U.S., and Xin Liu, a citizen ofChina, Binqiang Zeng, a citizen of China, Bin Liu, a citizen of China,and Xiaozhou Guo, a citizen of China, applicants for the designation ofthe U.S. only, and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application SerialNo. 200710074255.2 filed on 28 Apr. 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to telecommunication devices,and more particularly, to an optical fibre splicing module.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An optical fibre cable distribution frame is a cable distributionconnection device between optical fibre cables and optical communicationdevices, which includes an optical fibre cable fixing and protectingapparatus, an optical fibre terminating apparatus, a fibre pigtailconnecting and allocating apparatus, and a fibre pigtail windingapparatus. In order to accomplish the functions of optical fibre fixingand protecting, optical fibre terminating, cable adjustment, and opticalfibre cable core and pigtail protecting, etc., the existing opticalfibre splicing module as disclosed in Patent Application Serial No.ZL00251713.2 comprises a base and a cover board, with two operationplanes being arranged on the base, i.e. an upper operation plane and alower operation plane. The upper operation plane is provided with anoptical fibre cable core winding area, a bare fibre winding and fusionwelding area and a step-shaped adapter holder, while the lower operationplane is provided with a fibre pigtail winding area. Since the adapterholder is step-shaped and the adapter bayonets are laterally arranged(i.e., the plane where the longer side of its section plane resides isparallel with the plane of the base), only limited number of the adapterbayonets can be snapped to the adapter holder in the lateral direction,resulting in a limited capacity of 8 or 12 adapter bayonets beingsnapped. Particularly for the optical splitter widely used, theresulting splicing number is generally a power of 2, such as 16 or 32mostly. Although the maximum splicing number in the prior art is 12,only 8 bayonets can be used because 12 is not a power of 2. Thus, theintegrity degree is significantly reduced and can not meet therequirements of an optical splitter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an optical fibre splicing module toaddress the problems of the existing optical fibre splicing module whichhas low integrity degree and cannot meet the requirements of an opticalsplitter.

In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solutionemployed is as follows:

an optical fibre splicing module, including a base and a cover board,two operation planes being arranged on the base, i.e. an upper operationplane provided with an optical fibre cable core winding area, a barefibre winding and fusion welding area and an adapter holder, and a loweroperation plane provided with a fibre pigtail winding area,characterized in that: 16 or 32 bayonets are arranged on said adapterholder, said bayonets are longitudinally arranged along the verticaldirection of the operation planes, lower slots matched with the adaptershoulders are arranged on the lower side of the bayonets, and sealingblocks with upper slots on its bottom plane matched with the adaptershoulders are arranged on the upper side of the bayonets, both ends ofthe sealing blocks and both sides of the bayonets are connected bymatched grooves and protrusions, the size of said bayonets is justsuitably connected to the vertically placed adapters.

Said protrusions are provided at both ends of the sealing blocks, whilesaid grooves are provided at both sides of the bayonets.

Said adapter holder and said base are connected by general means, andthe adapter holder can be replaced as needed.

After using the above technical solution, since 16 or 32 bayonets arearranged on the adapter holder, the bayonets are longitudinally arrangedalong the vertical direction of the operation planes, lower slotsmatched with the adapter shoulders are arranged on the lower side of thebayonets, and sealing blocks with upper slots on its bottom planematched with the adapter shoulders are arranged on the upper side of thebayonets, both ends of the sealing blocks and both sides of the bayonetsare connected by matched grooves and protrusions, the size of thebayonets is just suitably connected to the vertically placed adapters,not only the number of bayonets is increased to a number meeting therequirements of the optical splitter, but also the volume of the entireoptical fibre splicing module can be ensured not to be increased byusing the arrangement of the bayonets and the matching method of thebayonets with the vertically arranged adapters. Also, the integritydegree can be improved and the requirements of the optical splitter canbe met, without changing the shape and size of existing adapters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of the structure according to a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of snapping structure between an adapterand an adapter holder in the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the structure according to an secondembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of snapping structure between an adapterand an adapter holder in the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION First Embodiment

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an optical fibre splicing module includes abase and a cover board, with two operation planes being arranged on thebase, i.e. an upper operation plane provided with an optical fibre cablecore winding area, a bare fibre winding and fusion welding area and anSC adapter holder, and a lower operation plane provided with a fibrepigtail winding area. 16 bayonets are arranged on the SC adapter holder.The bayonets are longitudinally arranged along the vertical direction ofthe operation planes. Lower slots matched with the adapter shoulders arearranged on the lower side of the bayonets, and sealing blocks withupper slots on its bottom plane matched with the adapter shoulders arearranged on the upper side of the bayonets, the sealing blocks and thebayonets are connected by protrusions at both ends of the sealing blocksand grooves at both sides of the bayonets. Said adapter holder and saidbase are connected by general means, and the adapter holder can bereplaced as needed.

Second Embodiment

An optical fibre splicing module as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes abase and a cover board, with two operation planes being arranged on thebase, i.e. an upper operation plane provided with an optical fibre cablecore winding area, a bare fibre winding and fusion welding area and anLC adapter holder, and a lower operation plane provided with a fibrepigtail winding area. 32 bayonets are arranged on the LC adapter holder.The bayonets are longitudinally arranged along the vertical direction ofthe operation planes. Lower slots matched with the adapter shoulders arearranged on the lower side of the bayonets, and sealing blocks withupper slots on its bottom plane matched with the adapter shoulders arearranged on the upper side of the bayonets, the sealing blocks and thebayonets are connected by protrusions at both ends of the sealing blocksand grooves at both sides of the bayonets. Said adapter holder and saidbase are connected by general means, and the adapter holder can bereplaced as needed.

1. An optical fibre splicing module, including a base and a cover board,two operation planes being arranged on the base, i.e. an upper operationplane provided with an optical fibre cable core winding area, a barefibre winding and fusion welding area and an adapter holder, and a loweroperation plane provided with a fibre pigtail winding area, comprising:16 or 32 bayonets are arranged on said adapter holder, said bayonets arelongitudinally arranged along the vertical direction of the operationplanes, lower slots matched with the adapter shoulders are arranged onthe lower side of the bayonets, and sealing blocks with upper slots onits bottom plane matched with the adapter shoulders are arranged on theupper side of the bayonets, both ends of the sealing blocks and bothsides of the bayonets are connected by matched grooves and protrusions,the size of said bayonets is just suitably connected to the verticallyplaced adapters.
 2. The optical fibre splicing module of claim 1,wherein: said protrusions are provided at both ends of the sealingblocks, while said grooves are provided at both sides of the bayonets.3. The optical fibre splicing module of claim 1, wherein: said adapterholder and said base are connected by general means, and the adapterholder can be replaced as needed.